Reversing apparatus for regenerative reversing furnaces



APPLICATION FILED IuIIE 2'2. IQIII.

Patented June '17, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED IUNEZZ. I9I8.

Patented June 17, 1919.

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. H. a. am. REVRSFNG AFPRATUS FOR REGENERATIVE REVERSING FURNACES.

' .APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1918.

Patented June 1'7, 1919,

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REVERSING APPARATUS FGR REGENERATIVE REVERSING FURNACES. `APPLICATION F|LED1uNE22.1918.

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Patented June 17, 1919.

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INVENTOR a armar enrich,

HARRY R. GEER, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

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Application led .Tune 22, 1918.

T0 all whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY It. Gunn, a resident of Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reversing Apparatus for Regenerative Reversing Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description, reference being had to the accompanying dra-wings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view partly diagram# matic of an apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts in reversed positions;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation;

Fig. 4: is a vertical section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of certain of the parts hereinafter more fully described.

My invention has reL tion to reversing apparatus for regenerative reversing furnaces, and is designed to provide a simple and eifective apparatus of this character which can be readily installed and operated.

The nature of my invention will loe best understood by reference to the accompany! ing drawings, in which I have shown the preferred embodiment thereof and which will now be described, it 'being premised, however, that various changes can loe made in the details of construction, arrangement and combination of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

In these drawings, the numeral 2 designates a circular base or floor plate through which open upwardly the outer ends of the gas ports 3 and 3a, leading through the usual regenerators to opposite ends of the furnace, the air ports 4l and 5, leading to the respective air regenerators, and the central port 6, leading to the stack connection 7. The openr ings in the base or floor plate, which communicate with the gas and air ports, are arranged symmetrically around the opening leading to the stack port 6, with their centers 900 distant from each other.

8 designates a connector, by means of which either the ports 3 and 5 or the ports 3a and l may be placed in communication with the port 6. This connector is in the form of a hollow hood having two branches 8a and Sb, at right angles to each other, and both communicating interiorly with the central portion of the hood. This hood or con- Specication of Letters Patent.

rammed June i7, raie.

Serial No. 241,418.

nector is set upon the base or floor plate 2, being preferably provided with a base ring Se, in the form of a casting which forms the seating on said plate, and which is arranged to slide upon the upper surface of the plate as the connector is moved from one position to another in the manner' hereinafter described.

9 designates'a connector for reversing the gas iues 3 and 3a. This connector is in the form of an elbow having its vertical arm resting on the plate 2, and its horizontal arm supported on the central portion of the connector 8. For the purpose of this support and also to provide means for the rotary movement of both connectors, a turn table or plate 10 is mounted on antifriction bearings 11, on the top of the connector 8, and the horizontal arm of the elbow 9 has a convex rib 12, seating in a groove 13 in said plate. In this manner, either or both connectors may loe rotated about a common vertical center and the connector 9 may also rock somewhat upon the bearing provided by the rib 12. The lower end of the vertical arm of the connector 8 is provided with a. seating ring 14 which preferably consists of a casting and which has a loosely fitted joint connection with the elbow. This joint is sealed, and the ring is also cooled by providing it with an external water trough 15, into which asealn ing flange 16 of the connector 9 depends. This water trough is provided with an overflow pipe 17, which may be discharged at any suitable point, as into the curved stationary trough 18, over or in which the end of the overlow pipe travels as the connector is moved.

19 designates the gas supply pipe which. leads intoa dome Q0, which is supported centrally over the superimposed portions of the connectors 8 and 9, and which preferably has a water-sealed joint 21, with the horizontal arm of the connector 9, with which it communicates. 22 is a damper for controlling the How of gas from the supply pipe and dome into the connector 9.

23 designates a damper plate for the (ir ports. This damper plate is suspended from a rope or cable 24 from any suitable overhead point, the rope or cable passing through a guide 25 on the arm 26, which is rigidly secured to the hub portion of a pulley 27. This pulley is arranged to be rotated by any suitable connection with the connector 9. In the arrangement illustrated, the vertical arm of the latter is provided with a peripherally grooved sector 28, lixed thereto. A belt 29 (shown in dotted lines in Figs. l and 2) is connected at its ends to the respective ends of the sector 28, its intermediate portion lying in the groove of the sector and its two branches crossing each other and passing around the pulley 27.

For the purpose of shifting the connectors S and 9, and at the same time actuating the damper plate 23, l provide the mechanism novv to be described.

30 designates an electric motor, Whose armature is arranged to. drive a shaft 31. This shaft is, in turn, arranged to drive a sleeve 32, mounted thereon, through either one of tWo reversel;v acting clutches and 34. The sleeve 32 is provided with a Worm 35, Which meshes with peripheral teeth on the outer circumference of the'circular rack 36. This rack is seated around the eircular base plate 2, upon suitable aiitifriction bearings, such as the antifric'tion rollers37. The motor 30 is a reversible type motor, and when operating in one Vdirection ivill drive the sleeve 32 and yWorm 35 through the clutch 33. lVlien operating in the yreverse direction,it will drive said sleeve and worm through v the reversely acting lclutch 34. Eachof these clutches is normally held in engaging position by a suitablespring 38. 39 and 40 designate clutch shifters which are arranged to be automatically operated to release their respective clutches by the action of the cam projections 41 and 42 on the circular rack.

In Fig. l, the clutch 33 is shown as held in its released position by the action of the cam 42, upon the clutch shifter 40, While the clutch 34 is shown engaged.

The circular rack is provided With means for engaging the connectors 8 and 9, respectively, a't the proper times and shifting them from one position to another. In the arrangement shown, the outer end of the connector 9 has secured thereto a'double-ended bolt 43, (shown in detail in Fig. 5) Whose end portions, respectively, engage the shoes 44. These shoes are engaged by springs 45, on the bolt, and each of them is provided with a depending lug 46, adapted forengagement with the pivoted tappets or latches 47 and 48, which are pivotally connected to the circular rack. The outer end of each of the arms Sa and 8b of the connector 8 is provided with a single spring shoe 49, adapted to be engaged, respectively, by fixed lugs 50 and 51, which are mounted on said circular rack. 52 designates a tripping bar, which is secured to the Hoor plate 2, and which has beveled end portions (see Figs. 5 and 6) which are adapted to engage the heel portions of the tappets or latches 47-48, and trip them out of engagement With the shoes 44.

In the position of the parts shown in F ig. 1, 'gas vis passing from the dome 20 through the connector 9 into thewgas port 7, and thence to the gas regenerator and furnace. The return gas port is connected to the stack port 6, through the arm 81 of the connector 3. Air is entering the open upper end of the air port 4, below the damper plate 23, and the return air port 5 is connected to the stack port 6, through the arm Sb of the connector 8. n l

It being desired to reverse the furnace the motor 30 is actuated to turn the circular rack bar in an anticlocliwise direction. VAs the rack bar commences to rotate, the tappet 80 or latch 47 engages the slide 44 'of the connector 9 in the manner s'hoivn in Fig. 5, and thereby causes said 'connector to rotate. This rotary movement ofthe cotnii'ector continues until 'the tappet 47 engages the trip 52, and thus releases it 'from engagement with the shoev44. i At this time, in the 'arrangement shoivn, the connector 9 has been rotated through anhangle of alo`out-45O to't'he position shown in idotted lines in Fig. 1,in termediate the ports 3,'andf3a. This inlovement ofthe connector9 through 'theconiiections before described ysivinfgs the damper plate 23 from the position shovvn in "fullfli'nes in Fig. v1 'to the position slivvn 'in dotted lines therein. At 'this time, the yfixed, lug 50 on the rack barlengages tthe shoe 49 'on the'ou'te'r end ofthe 'branch 8fL of the connector 8; and the connector 8 is rotated through an angle of 130iO until 'itis 'brought to the 100 position shown in Fig. 2, yv'vlere its "branches 3a and 8", respectively, connect the port 3 and airport `with the stack 'port 6. At the time the`cnne'ctor 8 begins the l'ast 450 of its movement, the lug 5l `W`ill lengage the 105 lug 46 of the other shoe 44 of jthe'connector 9 and will completo the jshiftin'g movement of this connector by carrying it to the position shown in ftill lines in In this position, it connects the 'dome 20 4vvith the 110 gas port 3". When the "parts have'assiiined these fully shifted positions, the clutch shifter 39 Willbe actuated to tlirov'v titthe clutch 34 and stop further movenieiitofythe circular rack. The parts are :now left in 115 such position'that, upon the reversaloftthe motor 30, to rotate the lcircular rack'fin the opposite direction, the two connectors ivill be shifted back to the positions shovvnin Fig.

l, in 'a manner that Will be readily under.- 120 stood from the foregoing, the, connector 9 being first movedto a niidvvay position and left there before the connector'S commences its shifting movement.

During 'each reversal, the circular rack 125 bar has a circular movement of 2700, the connector 9 being moved to its intermediate position during the first 45O of such movew ment. The shifting movement of the connector 8 commences When the 'circular rack 130 bar is rotated through 900, and continues for 180, and the final shifting of the connector 9 takes place during the last 450 of this movement.

By this arrangement, it will be seen that at each reversal, the supply of gas is first shut off before reversal takes place, and air is allowed to sweep into the furnace through the air and gas ports at the inlet enol of the furnace. This gives an opportunity for the gas, which has passed the reversing apparatus, to be consumed before the reversal takes place. This, of course, results in a considerable saving of gas which would otherwise 'be lost at each reversal. It will also be noted that, while of course the direction of fiow of the gas and air is reversed in the gas and air ports in the usual manner, yet the flow within the reversing apparatus is always in the same direction. That is to say, the return gases from the furnace are always passing upwardly into the connector 8 and downwardly into the stack port, while the entering` gas always Hows downwardly through the connector 9 into one of the gas ports. This makes possible a very simple and convenient arrangement of the ports at the reversing apparatus.

The connector 8 has a three-point support upon the base or Hoor plate 2, and can readily be shifted on said plate from one position to the other. The rocking end of the support of the connector' 9 upon the connector 8 permits both connectors to have sufficient freedom of movement to adapt themselves to any irregularities of the surface of the floor plate which may occur from warping or other causes. The entire reversing operations can be carried out by the use of a single motive device and by the mere closing of the supply circuit of' such device.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the driving connections between the motor and the circular rack bar; that the construction and arrangement of the latter may be widely changed; that any suitable means may be provided for engaging and disengaging the connectors at the proper times; that the construction and arrangement of the connectors themselves may be changed; and that various other changes can be made within the scope of the appended claims. v

I claim:

l. Reversing mechanism for reversing regenerative furnaces, comprising a rotary connector for reversing the gas supply and another rotary connector for reversing the return connections of the furnace, the last named connector having two converging radial branches, substantially as described.

2. Reversing mechanism for 1reversing regenerative furnaces, comprising a rotary connector for reversing the gas supply and another rotary connector for reversing the return connections of the furance, the last named connector having two converging radial branches, together with actuating means for effecting dierent shifting movements of the two connectors, substantially as described.

3. Reversing mechanism for reversing regenerative furnaces, comprising a rotary connector for reversing the gas supply and another rotary connector for reversing the return connections of the furnace, together with actuating means for giving the gasreversing connector an interrupted shifting movement and for giving the other connector a continuous shifting movement, substantially as described.

4. Reversing mechanism for reversing regenerative furnaces, comprising a rotary connector for reversing the gas supply and another rotary connector for reversing the return connections of the furnace, together with actuating means for said connectors, said means having devices for first partially shifting the gas-reversing connector to shut otl' without reversing the gas supply and to then shift the other connector and to complete the shifting movement of the gas-reversing connector, substantially as described.

5. In furnace-reversing appartus, the combination with gas and air ports, a stack port and a gas supply conduit, of a rotary connector arranged to shift the gas supply from one of the gas ports to the other of said ports, a second connector having two converging radial branches which are arranged to connect the stack port with one of the gas ports and air ports in one position and with the other gas port and the other air port in another position, said connectors being arranged to rotate about a common vertical axis, and means for actuating the same,

Asubstantially as described.

6. In furnace-reversing apparatus, the combination with gas and air ports, a stack port and a gas supply conduit, of a rotary connector arranged to shift the gas supply from one of the gas ports to the other of said ports, and a second connector having two converging radial branches which are arranged to connect the staclr port with one of the gas ports and air ports in one position and with the other gas port and the other air port in another position, said connectors havingl superimposed portions and beingl arranged to rotate about a common vertlcal aXis, together with means for actuating said connectors, substantially as described.

7. In furnace-reversing apparatus, the combination with gas and air ports, a stack port and a gas supply conduit, of a rotary connectorarranged to shift the gas supply from one of the gas ports to the other of said ports, and a second connector arranged to connect the stack port ftt with one `of the gas ports and air ports in one position and with the other gas port and the other air port in another position, said connectors having superimposed portions 'and being arranged to rot-ate about a common vertical axis, together with means for actuating said connectors, said actuating means having devices whereby the gasreversiiig connector is first shifted to shut off without reversing the gas supply and 'to then move the lother connector and to complete the nio vement of the gas-reversing connectoi `vto reverse the furnace, substantially as described.

"8. In furnace-ieversing apparatus, the

combination with gas and air ports, a stack port and a gas supply conduit, of a connector `having two converging radial branches, which in one position connect one of the air ports and one of the gas ports with the stack port and in the other position Vconnect the other Aair and gas ports vto said stack port, a gas supply reversing connector having an inlet portion arranged between the first `named connectors and the gas supply conduit, and means whereby said connectors vmay be rotated about a common vertical axis, substantially as described. 4 `9. Reversing mechanism for reversing furnaces, comprisinga rotary connector for reversing the gas supply, `another rotary connector for shifting the return connections from the furnace, the last named connector having two convergent radial branches, a single motive device, and actuating connecti'ons between said device and the 'said connectors, substantially as described.

10. 'Reversing mechanism for reversing furnaces, comprising a rotary connector for reversing the gas supply, another rotary connector for shifting the return connections froin the furnace, a single 1motive device, and actuating connections between said device and the said connector, said connections including means whereby the gas-reversing'connector is first moved to cut off without `reversing the supply of gas and the two connectors are then `moved to complete the reversal of the furnace, substanhorizontal arm provided with a rocking and Arotatable bearing upon the top of the first 'namedconnecton substantially as described.

12. "In furnace-reversing apparatus, the combination with a floor plate having port openings extending vertically therethrough, said openings comprising a central opening leading to a stack port, two other openings communicating with gas ports and two other openings communicating with air ports, of a connector mounted to rotate on the floor plate and adapted in each of two positions to connect the stack port and one of the air and gas ports, a gas supply reversing yconnector also mounted Ato turn on the floor plate, and means for actuating said connectors to shift ithem from one position to another, substantially as described.

18.1In furnace-'reversing apparatus, the combi-nation with a floor `plate having port openings extending vertically therethrough, said openings comprising a central opening leading to a stack port, two 'other openings communicating with .gas ports and two other openings connnunicating with air ports, of a connector mounted to rotate on the floor plate and adapted in each of vtwo positions to connect the stack port 'and one of the fair and gas ports, a gas supply re versing connector also mounted to turn on the floor plate, and means for actuating said connectors to shift them from kone position to another, the actuating Ameans having devices whereby the vgassup'ply connector may be partially shifted to cut off'without reversing the gas supply before the other connector is moved, substantially as described.

1K1. In furnace-reversing apparatus, the combination with two separate Iconnectors mounted for independent rotation, one of said connectors having means for reversing the gas supply to the furnace andthe other of said connectors being arranged'to reverse the air supply and return vconnections of the furnace, of a rotary member having means for engaging and moving the said connectors, and a reversiblemotor for actuating said movable member, substantially as described.

15. In furnace-reversing apparatus, the` set my hand.

AHARRY R. GEEK.

G'o'fpescfthispatent may be `o1tanedfor five cents each, byaddressing-the Commissioner of VPatents.

Washington, D. C. 

